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Apr 2007

India at take-off stage in aviation sector: US official

     New Delhi: Expressing optimism about the Indian carrier and aviation business, a senior U.S. official told a select group of media persons that the aviation industry in India is very focussed, and expressed hope about its chances of moving forward to meet global challenges in this sector head-on. Federal Aviation Administrator Marion C Blakey, who is in Delhi to attend the three-day U.S.-India Aviation Partnership Summit, which concludes today, said: "I hope India is able to move forward towards a more corporate-style of aviation. That has to develop significantly. I am very optimistic about the future of Indian carriers and the Indian aviation business." Lauding what she called "one of the fastest growing (aviation) systems in the world, Blakey, however cautioned that while growth and opportunities are welcome, it comes with attendant challenges."

     She opined that just like the U.S. aviation industry, the Indian aviation industry was passing through a period of heavy losses, and a growth period would follow naturally. She said that in the United States, the National Airspace System manages over 55,000 flights a day, and in peak hours that meant anywhere between 5,000 to 7,000 aircraft flying around. Therefore, it was imperative that infrastructure improvement is constant and consistent not only in the United States, but in other countries also. The Indian aviation business, she said, is growing at an astounding rate of 25 per cent annually, and given this statistic, it was only natural for the United States, or more specifically the FAA, to think in terms of effectively enhancing the existing aviation partnership between the two countries.

     Replying to a question related to Kingfisher Airlines plans of starting an airline service from the United States in the near future, Blakey said that as far as she knew, Kingfisher's headquarters were in Mumbai as of now, and any such operative move from the United States would be dealt with at the appropriate time. Elaborating on the airline business in the United States, Blakey said foreign aviation business entities wanting to start business operations from the United States needed to pass through two levels of applications - economic viability and operative viability/guidelines. She confirmed that these procedures were exhaustive in nature, and any airline management needed to be well versed about them before starting out from the United States. Asked about Jet Airways plans for starting international operations to the United States, Blakey said that the airline's applications with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) "were just about wrapped up. It was on track." Blakey said that the FAA's mandate was on safety, and it was in this regard, that she had come along to New Delhi with a FAA team to assess the potential for a Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA). "We do not carry security as our primary focus. People have accommodated to the type of threats confronting them. We need to find a way to ensure the safety of products flowing between our markets. Working together, there's a way to move toward reciprocal acceptance of safety certifications," she said. Blakey said that there were other areas where bilateral cooperation could be considered, such as airport maintenance and security, performance-based navigation, satellite-based navigation, geo-augmented navigation etc. She also emphasised the importance of next generation air transportation systems protecting the environment, which was a global issue that required global solutions.
-Apr 25, 2007